Search

The clinical manifestation of COVID-19 can vary from an asymptomatic course to ARDS requiring invasive mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. A kidney transplanted patient infected with SARS CoV-2 infection showed a mild disease despite immune suppression. It is possible that Immunosuppression can "be protective" as the cytokine storm is an important factor in the disease story. Despite the good outcome reported in the present case report, is remains of vital importance the solid organ transplant patients use precautions in order to avoid the infection.

Sustained virologic response rates have increased dramatically following direct acting antiviral (DAA) therapy in chronic HCV infection. However, resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) may occur either prior to DAA or following drug exposure. The aim of this study was to determine RASs in DAA treatment-failing patients and the role of RASs in failure treatment. Six hundred and twenty HCV patients were evaluated. Direct sequencing of HCV genes was performed at breakthrough in all 31 patients failing DAAs, and in 19 baseline patients. Deep sequencing analysis was performed in 15/19 baseline patients. RASs were detected at breakthrough in 17/31 patients and at baseline in 11/19 patients, although, only 8/19 patients carried RASs associated with the prescribed regimen. Deep sequencing analysis showed RASs at baseline in 10/15 treatment-failing patients. No significant difference was observed with the Sanger sequencing. Treatment failure in the 14/31 patients without RASs was associated with suboptimal treatment. In 54.8% of treatment-failing patients one of the causes of failure might be the presence of RASs. In the majority of patients with RASs, mutations were present at baseline. Direct resistance test is advocated before treatment and at breakthrough in order to optimize retreatment regimens.

Xpert® Norovirus Assay (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA) was compared with a laboratory-developed real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of Norovirus GI and GII in hospitalized patients with acute gastroenteritis. The two assays showed a high level of concordance but Xpert® Norovirus Assay allowed faster detection of Norovirus and a simpler sample handling.

A global reemergence of human enterovirus 68 (EV-D68) associated with severe respiratory illness occurred in 2014. We developed and validated an EV-D68-specific real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) for the detection of EV-D68 in respiratory samples. The rapid diagnosis of EV-D68 may contribute to better management of EV-D68 infections.

Measles and rubella are infectious diseases and humans are the only reservoir of these infections. Effective vaccines are available with the potential for measles (MV) and rubella (RuV) virus eradication. According to the World Health Organisation guidelines, a national plan was approved in Italy in 2013 to achieve the MV/RuV elimination by 2015, and active MV/RuV integrated surveillance initiated. Towards this purpose, a regional laboratory centre was set up on 1 September 2013 in Lombardy, Northern Italy. This paper aimed at: (1) evaluating measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage and MV/RuV notified cases retrospectively; and (2) presenting the results of MV/RuV integrated surveillance (laboratory confirmed and viral genetic profiles). The 95% target for MMR vaccine coverage was achieved in 2001, and coverage increased until 2007 (96.6%), but then a decreasing trend was observed. Since 2000 to 2014, 3026 rubella cases were notified, with nearly 58% of them in the 2002 epidemic. From 2009, less than 45 RuV cases per year were reported. From 2000 to 2014, 5024 measles cases were notified. Since 2008, three large outbreaks (in 2008, 2011, and 2013) were observed. From data obtained during our surveillance activity, there were no rubella cases, and 57.5% (46/80) collected samples were MV-positive by real-time RT-PCR. A fragment of the MV N gene was sequenced from 37 MV-positive samples; D8, D9, and B3 genotypes were detected. Data obtained retrospectively and from active surveillance underline the necessity to achieve and maintain high vaccination coverage and to improve surveillance and the effectiveness of healthcare actions.